Would the E rated tire be too stiff on a 2007 Expedition 4x4? They are priced a few bucks cheaper and the tire store says they will wear better than the 4 ply. My concern is that they won't feel as smooth on the road - plus these have a 70,000 mile tread wear warranty either way.

What about the road hazard warranty (Big O and Discount Tire are big on selling this) - anybody support this? I have never bought it or used it, but each time I get a set of tires I contemplate whether I should for a little extra. It runs about $30 per tire. They say they'll replace a damaged tire for free if you have the warranty, but once you get some mileage on the tires they don't recommend replacing just 1 tire anyways. I usually decline this due to paying so much for tires anyways.

 

I generally do not think extended warranties of any type are worth it. That said, my wife purchased it on her tire set when she had to replace a single tire blowout. Tire was ~$160. The next day we discovered the other tire on the same side had received damage too, but they replaced it for "free". Of course we had to purchase the road hazard again for the replacement tire. In the end, it was about a wash, but this started the cycle.

I purchased it with a set of truck tires, OTD price ~$1050. About 20k into them I experienced a blowout (not because of tire integrity I will add). These tires were expensive, and the warranty paid, and again, it was about a wash. I think you would typically have to replace two tires under warranty to actually make it an advantage. I guess the point is that it is nice to have, but the likelihood of it ever paying off is nill I think.

Like all warranties and insurance, it's a gamble.

 

I would never put 10ply tires on a vehicle that you were concerned about ride comfort. The stiff sidewalls make the ride so much worse. I had a set of 10ply on my 05 F150. It fell like the shocks/springs were welded together. Never again.

 

Glad to say I went with the 4 ply. The ride home felt better on the interstate than when we first bought the truck. The tires feel tight, but smooth. Compared to the OEM Continentals w/ 57,000 miles this feels like a new truck again. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Road hazard or not?

 

I didn't pay the extra $130 for the free road hazard, just stuck with the prorated road hazard that is included. Thanks for your reply, it pretty much lined up with my thoughts in the past when I decline the optional road hazard coverage.

 

I had 3 nails and needed 2 new tires before I got road hazard. After getting it? Nothing. My luck. It's a gamble either way with odds leaning towards not getting it as cheaper.

 

Road hazard, electronic service plans, life insurance, gambling, its all the same. A company or casino will take on risk for a price, and they stay in business if they charge a little more than their customers are paid out. The market is very efficient in these businesses -- that's how an economist describes a market that has no hidden tricks or insider information (the worthwhile side of economics, the worthless side is when they advise presidents to bail out failing markets, like speculative banks).

So road hazard is only financially worthwhile if your specific tire and driving history is for above average tire damage.